You have a rent contract if you pay rent to a landlord. It does not have to be in writing. If you do not have a written contract You should be able to stay for a year from the date you moved in even if you do not have anything in writing. If you have a written contract A written contract should say how long you can live in your home. During this time your landlord can still ask you to leave if: your contract says they can ask you to leave with 4 weeks’ notice you break the rules (‘terms’) of your contract and it says the owner can ask you to leave as a result When your contract ends Your landlord can ask you to leave as long as they give you 4 weeks’ notice. If you do not leave the owner can ask the court for an ‘eviction order’ which forces you to leave. If your landlord tries to evict you If your landlord tries to evict you (force you to leave), you’ll have more rights to stay if you live on a ‘protected site’. A protected site is a mobile home park which has planning permission to have residents living there throughout the year. A holiday park is not a protected site. Your right to stay also depends on: what your rental contract says whether your home is counted as a ‘dwelling house’, which means you have rights from tenancy laws To be a dwelling house your park home must be: your permanent residence – where you live most or all of the time connected to mains electricity or water unmovable or so large that it cannot be moved in one piece, for example you cannot drive it or tow it away yourself Types of tenancy The type of tenancy you have depends on the date you moved in and started paying rent. You will have: a regulated tenancy if you moved in and started paying rent before 15 January 1989 an assured or assured shorthold tenancy if you moved in and started paying rent on or after 15 January 1989 Getting advice Tenancy rights can be complicated and depend on your situation. You should get legal advice if you think your landlord is treating you unfairly. You can also contact Citizens Advice , the Leasehold Advisory Service or charities such as Shelter or Age UK if you have questions. Community Legal Advice helpline 0845 345 4 345 Leasehold Advisory Service 020 7832 2525 Shelter housing advice helpline 0808 800 4444 Age UK advice helpline 0800 169 6565 Find out about call charges

Pitch fee You have to pay a ‘pitch fee’ to the park owner to rent the land your park home sits on. The park owner can propose to change it once a year. They must give you 28 days’ notice in writing. You or the park owner can apply to a tribunal to decide the pitch fee if you cannot agree on it. Gas, water, electricity and liquefied petroleum gas ( LPG ) The Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets ( Ofgem ) sets the amount the park owner can charge you for gas and electricity. The park owner cannot charge you more for gas and electricity than they paid for it, including any connection charges. For water, the park owner can only charge what the water company charges and a reasonable administration fee. Charges for LPG are not regulated.

Selling or giving away a park home

Selling The park owner gets up to 10% of the selling price (known as a ‘commission’) when you sell your home. You’ll need to: give the buyer certain information - for example about the commission and pitch fees tell the park owner about the sale assign (transfer) the pitch agreement to the new owner tell the buyer to fill in a ‘Notice of Assignment form’ so they can pay the commission to the park owner You must fill in the correct form for park home buyers and sellers to sell your home. Park homes do not need an Energy Performance Certificate ( EPC ). The park owner may be able to object to you selling your home. They must apply to a tribunal . Giving away You have the right to ‘gift’ (give away) your park home and pass on your agreement to a family member. Use the ‘Notice of proposed gift form’ to send the park owner proof of how you’re related to the family member. Inheritance rules Anyone will be able to carry on the agreement when you die if they’re: a family member living with you at the time you die your husband, wife or civil partner Someone who is not living with you or is not your husband, wife or civil partner will have to get approval from the park owner to live there. Read detailed information on buying, selling or gifting your park (mobile) home.

Park repairs and improvements

Park owners are responsible for: keeping common areas (like shared paths) in good condition repairing the area where your home sits (the ‘base’) maintaining any services they supply to your home or pitch (like sewerage) Park improvements If the park owner plans to make improvements, they must: give you at least 28 days’ notice in writing and let you know how you can comment on the plans tell you if it will affect your pitch fee They can go ahead with improvements even if most residents disagree. The park owner can sometimes recover improvement costs through a pitch fee increase. If you disagree, you can apply to a tribunal . Contact the Leasehold Advisory Service for advice.

Residents’ associations

You can set up a ‘qualifying’ residents’ association to represent home owners in the mobile home park where you live. Qualifying residents’ associations have certain rights and park owners should consult the residents’ association when they want to spend money on improvements or change how they run the park. Park owners must give at least 28 days’ notice of any changes and take the association’s concerns into account before they make changes. Setting up a qualifying residents’ association Your association must include at least half of the home owners in your park. Residents who rent their homes cannot join. You’ll have to keep certain records and documents, like: an up-to-date list of members a constitution any other rules of the association You’ll have to elect a: chairman secretary treasurer The chairman, secretary and treasurer can make administrative decisions. Members should vote on all other decisions. You need to ask the park owner to ‘acknowledge’ your association. You can apply to a tribunal if they refuse. They can order the park owner to acknowledge your association. Your association can continue to meet if it does not meet the qualifying conditions but the park owner will not have to talk to the association about park operations and management.

If you have a dispute with the park owner that you cannot work out, you can apply to a tribunal . Decisions made by the tribunal are legally binding. If your agreement says you must use an arbitrator, ignore it. You must use a tribunal instead. The tribunal can settle certain disputes, for example: changing a residence agreement changing the pitch fee moving a park home damage and repairs to the site transferring ownership of a park home to someone else Find out more about the types of disputes the tribunal can solve . Get help Contact the Leasehold Advisory Service for advice if you’re not sure whether you have a case. Call the tribunal if you have any questions about completing the form. The tribunal cannot give you legal advice. Tribunal Service Telephone: 0845 600 3178 Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm Friday, 9am to 4.30pm Find out about call charges

Park (mobile) homes

Your rights and obligations

Your rights and obligations are listed in a written agreement with the park (or site) owner. This sets out:

your minimum legal rights and obligations, like your right to keep your park home on its pitch
the rules, charges and services

You have 28 days to review it before signing.

You still have rights and obligations as a park home resident even if you do not have a written agreement.

Park home owners have different rights and responsibilities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Keeping your home in good condition

You must:

repair your home when necessary
keep the outside of your home and pitch clean and tidy, including any fences or outbuildings that you own or use on your pitch

Site licence

Privately owned sites must have a licence from the local council. The park owner must clearly display the licence. It will usually have conditions for:

how many homes can be in the park
services and amenities
health and safety

Complain to the park owner about conditions in your park. Contact your local council if you cannot sort out the issue with the park owner.

You could be forced to leave if you live on a site without planning permission for residential use.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Park (mobile) homes

Your rights and obligations

Keeping your home in good condition

Site licence

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Park (mobile) homes

Your rights and obligations

Keeping your home in good condition

Site licence

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